1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to Internet and more particularly to an intelligent router system having a capability to locally store certain data based upon a profile. The data, which has been received for re-transmission, may also be selectively discarded by the router if it fails to meet certain filter criteria established by an addressee.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are two basic problems confronting Internet users, namely (1) slow delivery of information over the Internet due to congestion; and (2) delivery of unsolicited or objectionable material that an Internet user does not want to receive. Conventionally, mirroring of web sites and push technology have been used to circumvent the congestion problems faced by users of the Internet. In both cases, however, the network remains more heavily loaded due to on-demand user requirements which result in heavy loading during predictable time periods. Further, for blocking unsolicited and objectionable material, special software is required on the users computer. Finally, due to constant evolution of standards, it is becoming complex for users to manage this filtering software.
The Internet is arranged so that every computer has a unique name or address by which it can be identified. When data is transmitted over the Internet, it is generally broken down into smaller groupings called "packets". In addition to the data which is being transmitted, the packets will normally include important transmission information such as the sender's identity or Internet Packet Address (IP Address), the addressee or intended recipient's IP Address, the actual data (or data request), and so on. Each packet which is transmitted from a user's computer will typically travel through several network devices such as hubs, switches, and routers. If a user's computer is part of a local area network, the packet will generally travel along a cable until it arrives at a hub to which the cable is connected. The hub or "repeater" as it is sometimes called, will retransmit the packet to another network device (such as a switch) until the packet reaches a router. The router examines the information transmitted with the packet and determines the best way for it to get to its destination. Once it has determined how the packet is to be sent, the router selects another router at some other location and transmits the message to the router in the direction the packet is intended to travel. For example, if the message is going from New York to California, the router might send the packet to a router located in an intermediate city such as Chicago along a high speed communication cable. Once there, another router will determine a subsequent router to which the packet will be sent next. In this way the packet is transmitted from router to router until the packet has nearly reached its destination. When the packet is near to its destination, it is eventually passed to a local hub which will retransmit the message to its intended recipient computer. The recipient computer then reassembles the packet with other parts of the original message to create the complete set of transmitted data. Thus, conventional routers function in a network by connecting wide area networks and local area networks to allow traffic and communication of packet information to be transmitted to selected destinations. Routers conventionally do not have mass data storage devices, such as magnetic hard disks or optical storage media. Further, conventional routers are commonly comprised of a single central processing unit, operating in unison.